Ljubinka Bašović

Ljubinka Bašović was a pioneering scholar and educator who laid the foundations of modern library science in Bosnia and Herzegovina. As the country’s first Doctor of Library Science, she played a key role in establishing academic programs in librarianship and shaping generations of professionals. Her work bridged history, bibliography, and information science, leaving a lasting impact on how knowledge is organized, studied, and preserved in the region.

Early Life and Education

Ljubinka Bašović (née Petrić) was born on 22 December 1930 in Prnjavor, then part of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. She spent her formative years in Pančevo, where she completed both her primary and secondary education.

Her intellectual path led her to Belgrade, where she enrolled at the Faculty of Philosophy. In 1955, she graduated in Yugoslav literature and Serbo-Croatian language, laying a strong humanistic and linguistic foundation for her later academic work.

Recognizing the emerging importance of information sciences, she pursued postgraduate studies in library science, documentation, and information science at the University of Zagreb. She completed her master’s thesis in 1968, focusing on the role of specialized libraries in agricultural science.

Her academic journey culminated in a doctoral degree from Charles University in Prague in 1973, where she defended a dissertation on bibliographic and archival materials related to Czechoslovakia in Bosnian-Herzegovinian press (1918–1941). This achievement made her the first Doctor of Library Science in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Professional Career

Early Library Work

Bašović began her professional career as a librarian, working at:

• The Library of the Faculty of Agriculture in Sarajevo
• The National and University Library of Bosnia and Herzegovina

She worked in these institutions from 1958 to 1971, contributing to the modernization and organization of library systems during a crucial period of post-war institutional development.

Academic and Institutional Contributions

Her most significant impact came through academia. In 1972, she played a key role in establishing the Department of General Literature, Performing Arts and Library Science at the University of Sarajevo’s Faculty of Philosophy.

She was:

• Appointed docent (assistant professor) in 1973
• Promoted to associate professor in 1979

At the time, she was among the few full-time instructors in librarianship in Yugoslavia, highlighting both her expertise and the pioneering nature of her work.

Through her teaching, she helped:

• Establish formal education in library science in Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Develop curricula that later became a model for other programs across Yugoslavia
• Train generations of librarians, researchers, and cultural workers

Scientific and Scholarly Work

Bašović’s academic interests focused on:

• History of libraries and librarianship
• Comparative library science
• Information and documentation systems

She authored and co-authored numerous important works, including:

• Bibliotekarstvo u bosanskohercegovačkim periodičnim publikacijama (1945–1975)
• Biblioteke i bibliotekarstvo u Bosni i Hercegovini (1918–1945; 1945–1975)
• Vodič kroz naučne i stručne biblioteke u Bosni i Hercegovini

These publications provided foundational bibliographic and analytical frameworks for understanding the development of libraries in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the wider region.

Her work bridged history, bibliography, and information science, contributing to the professionalization of librarianship as a scientific discipline.

Awards and Recognition

For her contributions to culture, science, and education, Bašović received several prestigious awards, including:

• Annual Award of the Cultural Community of the Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina
• The “Veselin Masleša” Award (1987), one of the highest cultural recognitions in the republic

These honors recognized both her scholarly output and her institutional impact.

Later Life

With the outbreak of the Bosnian War in 1992, Bašović moved to Belgrade, where she lived until her death.

She passed away on 15 June 2002 at the age of 71 and was buried at the New Cemetery in Belgrade.

Legacy

Ljubinka Bašović remains a foundational figure in the history of library science in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Her legacy is reflected in several key areas:

• Institution-building: She helped establish the first academic structures for library science education in the country.
• Academic influence: Her curricula and teaching shaped generations of professionals and influenced programs across the former Yugoslavia.
• Scholarly contribution: Her bibliographic and historical studies remain essential references in the field.
• Pioneering role: As the first PhD in library science in Bosnia and Herzegovina, she opened pathways for future scholars, especially women in academia.

Her work sits at the intersection of culture, education, and information systems, marking her as a key intellectual in the modernization of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s academic and library infrastructure in the 20th century.

Summary

Ljubinka Bašović was not just a librarian or professor—she was a system builder. At a time when library science was still emerging as a discipline in the region, she laid its intellectual and institutional foundations. Her work continues to influence how knowledge is organized, preserved, and taught in Bosnia and Herzegovina today.